Agra: As India faces an oxygen crisis following the unprecedented surge in novel coronavirus cases, a heart-wrenching video has gone viral on social media wherein a man can be seen crying copiously and begging the policemen not to take away oxygen cylinders from a hospital in Agra while categorically stating that his mother will die.
A man in a PPE suit is seen standing next to an ambulance parked outside the hospital in the video shared on social media and pleading before the cops for a cylinder for his mother admitted to the hospital in a critical condition.
READ: UP Extends Weekend Lockdown: New Restrictions Announced, Timings Extended Till Tuesday Morning 7 AM
“My mother will die. Please don’t take away oxygen cylinders. I request you…Please Sir. From where will I arrange a cylinder? I came here after promising my family that I would bring back my mother,” he can be heard saying in the video as he pleads and bows down before the policemen, who stand guard as oxygen cylinders are taken out of the hospital and loaded into the ambulance.
The man continued to plead in the video, which was reportedly shot outside the Agra hospital in Sadar on Monday evening, but the cops deployed on duty continued their work.
The Congress Party’s youth wing, the Youth Congress, posted the video on its official Twitter handle and lambasted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led BJP Government in Uttar Pradesh over what they alleged “total inhuman act” by the police.
“This is a really heart breaking video. A man is begging in front of policeman not to take a Oxygen cylinder he has arranged for his mom in Agra, UP. This is a total inhumane act by the police. Is this how you should treat your fellow citizens Mr Yogi?” the Youth Congress wrote tagging the purported video.
The Agra Police have, however, rubbished allegations that policemen took away oxygen-filled cylinders from the hospital.
Agra Superintendent of Police (SP) BR Prasad while commenting on the alleged incident in a video statement on Twitter said such videos were being circulated on social media to mislead people, adding the police condemn the spread of such videos.
READ: Uttarakhand Suspends Char Dham Yatra For 2021 Amid Spiralling Covid Cases
“There was a shortage of oxygen in Agra two days back and people were giving their personal cylinders to hospital,” Prasad said.
“There are two men in the video who are seen taking away an empty cylinder. The man in the video was requesting the police to also arrange an oxygen cylinder for his Covid-positive relative admitted to the hospital for treatment but no one was taking away oxygen-filled cylinders,” he added.